Few people love a good debate like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their career while playing for that club.
Here is Todd Zolecki’s ranking of the top shortstops in Phillies history.
1. Jimmy Rollins, 2000-14
Key stat: Franchise’s all-time hits leader (2,306)
I asked Larry Bowa in Spring 2006 if he thought Rollins could be considered the greatest shortstop in Phillies history.
“Nah,” Bowa said. “I need to see Jimmy play a little bit longer before I say that.”
Rollins hit .277 with 25 home runs, 83 RBIs and an .811 OPS in 2006. He won the National League Most Valuable Player Award the following season, hitting .296 with 30 home runs, 94 RBIs and an .875 OPS.
I talked to Bowa again in 2008. Had he changed his mind?
“I wasn’t a great player,” Bowa said. “I was a good player. Jimmy is a great player. Yeah, I think he’s a great player.”
Rollins finished his Phillies career as the franchise’s all-time hits leader. He won four NL Gold Glove Awards and one NL Silver Slugger Award. He made three NL All-Star teams and earned NL MVP Award votes in five seasons.
"Some people call me 'Jimmy,' and they say when I put on a uniform, I turn into 'J-Roll,'” Rollins said before his retirement ceremony last May. “In my personal life, I'm very secluded. I keep a small circle and just like to blend in. Obviously, growing up in the Bay Area watching Rickey Henderson, there was an entertainment [factor] when I watched him play. So I liked to bring that to the field every time I took the field, and obviously, that comes with a little more dramatic version of myself.”
J-Roll called the Phillies the team to beat in the NL East in 2007, and then he backed up his words with one of the most exciting individual seasons in franchise history. He then helped the Phils win the World Series in '08, the NL pennant in '09 and two more division titles in '10 and '11.
2. Larry Bowa, 1970-81
Key stat: Five-time NL All-Star
Bowa had 2,191 hits in his career (1,798 with the Phillies). His .980 fielding percentage at shortstop is tied for ninth in baseball history. Bowa was a five-time All-Star with the Phils. He won two NL Gold Glove Awards and earned NL MVP Award votes in four seasons. Bowa was also the shortstop when Philadelphia won the 1980 World Series and captured NL East titles from '76-78. He later managed and coached the Phillies, and he currently works in the front office, although he put on a uniform every day this spring to work with the infielders.
But Bowa’s longevity in Philadelphia is not the only reason why Phillies fans love him. They adore his story, as he was not drafted, instead working his way up to the big leagues. They're big on his personality, too -- for a kid from Sacramento, Calif., he sure exudes a Philly mindset.
3. Trea Turner, 2023-present
Key stat: Won the NL batting title in 2025
Turner signed an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Phillies in December 2022. He helped the Phillies make the postseason in each of his first three seasons with the organization. In 2025, Turner became the first Phillies player to win a batting title since Richie Ashburn in 1958. It capped his best regular season with the Phillies, finishing fifth for NL MVP.
4. Granny Hamner, 1944-59
Key stat: Three-time NL All-Star
Hamner was Bowa before Bowa: tough as nails and one heck of a competitor. He made three NL All-Star teams and earned NL MVP Award votes in six seasons with the Phillies, including a sixth-place finish in 1950, when the Whiz Kids won the NL pennant.
5. Dave Bancroft, 1915-20
Key stat: Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1971
Bancroft joined the Phillies as a rookie in 1915, and he started 153 games as the team won its first NL pennant. Bancroft was known as a slick-fielding shortstop who learned to hit. Phils manager Gavvy Cravath called Bancroft the best shortstop in baseball early in the '20 season, according to The Phillies Encyclopedia. But like a lot of star Philly players back then, he was traded for cash. The Phils shipped him to the New York Giants in June of that year for $100,000 and shortstop Art Fletcher, who played only two more seasons in the big leagues.
Bancroft continued his career with the Giants, helping them beat the Yankees in the World Series in 1921 and ’22. He finished his career with a 49.1 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. Rollins finished with a 47.6 WAR. It’s something to keep in mind when Rollins appears on the Hall of Fame ballot in a couple years.